Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Peter Facinelli

A teenage girl risks everything when she falls in love with a vampire.

Flixster Users

82% liked it

252,986 ratings

Critics

49% liked it

192 critics

PG-13, 2 hrs.

Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke

Release Date: November 21, 2008

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: March 21, 2009

Stats: 88,176 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (88,176)


  • October 8, 2009
    God this was pants! Why does anyone like it? If you want a good vampire movie watch "Let the right one in"
  • September 29, 2009
    The dialogue was really really cheesy. Or it was just handled really bad. There were moments where the actual film dragged me in. Mostly based of the way it was filmed, using the Pacific Northwest, it looked good. Thats two stars.

    I think there was just something missing. Dont g...( read more)et me wrong I love supernatural stuff and I like romantic teen angst crap or well I did. I mean movies like Some Kind of Wonderful ive enjoyed. BUT this just felt like a bad teen romantic drama masquerading as a vampire flick.

    Kristen Stewart I think has done better. For some reason she just looked uncomfortable in this role. Pattinson seemed far more comfortable in his. If anything his sometimes casual joking attitude at times made me like the movie. Stewart just seemed just along for the ride.
  • September 18, 2009
    One scene disapointed me and I'm not going to add a spoiler. I was not too sure about this film. But to be honest its the peacefulness, the romanticism of the occult, the acting is half decent but I think the directing , the Washington setting, and just plain vampire story make t...( read more)his re-watchable. :)
  • August 20, 2009
    Wonderful. I can't wait to see the others
  • August 3, 2009
    Although hardcore fans of Stephanie Meyer were a bit nonplussed, to say the least, over this movie adaptation of her bestselling vampire novel, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can imagine that I'm going to take a lot of flak for my opinion, especially as "Twilight" is a movie meant pr...( read more)imarily for teenage girls, but I'm willing to take that risk since the story and chemistry between the leading actors is so beautifully done that, if you are willing to overlook some minor flaws, you can't help but fall in love with this film too.
    Yes, this film has flaws. Some of the camerawork early on is a bit amateur and some of the stunts are a bit cheesy but, even if this was to be judged by bad movie standards, it was still very entertaining.
    I really didn't notice any major goofs though as the relationship between the incredibly strong leads of Kristen Stewart (as Bella) and Robert Pattinson (as Edward) really drew me into the fantasy in ways that only fans of something like "Buffy" or "Angel" could truly appreciate. Yes, this is all very much like a more serious and romantic version of the relationship between Buffy and Angel in the TV series but with a bit more of a "Romeo and Juliet" feel to it. "Star-crossed lovers" is, I believe, the correct expression for this situation.
    Underlying the dominant love story though is also a subplot of good vampires against bad vampires and even the hint of werewolves on the horizon. With at least one sequel about to occur pretty soon, it's obvious that as much was being packed into this film as possible to create hooks. It all worked too. There wasn't too much given away but just enough to leave this as a stand alone movie while making the viewer wish there was more. A delicate balance has been achieved and this makes it such a commercial masterpiece that it has the potential to outsell "Harry Potter" now that the original audience of those books and films has grown up and moved on.
    I'll mention again that what really drew me in was the acting. The vampire actors are all beautiful rather than just attractive while the humans are shown to be a lot more unkempt and immature even though everyone looks about the same age. Kristen Stewart is the middle ground between these two polarities as she is beautiful yet not quite fully formed as a woman. Her performance was exceptional albeit with some moments of unrealistic dialogue. The character of Bella was just such a paradox that she had to stand out as an attraction for Edward the vampire. She was a lot more controlled and mature than any of her peers yet still awkward enough to be one of them at times too so her reactions were realistic even if her words were not.
    At 122 minutes, "Twilight" is a long film which, due to slow pacing, feels even longer. For once though this isn't a bad thing as if it had been trimmed then it could have ended up as just another MTV style teen flick. The added length adds some substance to things and allows the greater character development which will undoubtedly continue into the sequels.
    Cinematically it is a beautiful film to watch. Only one rough piece of camerawork on the beach distracted me for a moment but everything else was framed perfectly and all the aerial shots, zooms and pans were done effectively. A baseball game used to show the speed and strength of the vampires was a moment of almost comic relief which didn't really work out too well but at least it is possible to see what was intended. The director, Catherine Hardwicke (of "Lords of Dogtown" fame), still seems to be learning about what works and what doesn't but, since no movie is ever perfect, the pros outweigh the cons especially considering the length.
    The biggest problem with this film for horror fans, of course, is not the technical achievements or production values but that, like every other vampire film in recent years, it just isn't scary. I can't honestly remember a vampire film apart from certain scenes in "Salem's Lot" ever being scary though. When a lot of Edward Cullen's lines consist of the question, "Are you scared?", it does tend to provoke the audience, in this case me, to say "No" instead of waiting for Bella's equal response.
    Really though, "Twilight" is more of a romantic drama with some action rather a real horror genre movie. The potential was never even there in the books, it seems, to make this into anything other than a kind of "Dark Shadows" for the 21st Century so you can't honestly go into this expecting another "30 Days of Night" because it's not going to happen.
    There isn't a lot of blood in this considering it is a vampire movie and any death scenes are pretty much off-camera. I imagine that this was done intentionally to keep it within the PG-13 rating more than anything else. For my tastes, it could have used some harder and more gritty bloodletting but the target audience should be more than satisfied with what is there.
    I've rated "Twilight" as 8 out of 10 based mainly on its value as an entertaining movie. As a horror movie, it is only worth half that score. I still recommend that you watch it though.
  • November 7, 2009
    When you can live forever what do you live for? When Bella Swan moves in with her father in Forks, Washington, she wasn't expecting out of the ordinary to happen until she meets Edward Cullen, a mysterious student with super-speed, at her new high school. As they both fall passi...( read more)onately in love, Bella then discovers that Edward is hiding the secret that he is an immortal vampire, but his blood-thirsty needs could bite her momentarily even though he and his family only drink blood from animals. The closer the forbidden relationship gets, a coven of vampires catch their scent when they come to hunt Bella for sport.

    Flixster - Share Movies


    Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, Twilight features great acting performances from the following cast:
    1.) Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan)
    2.) Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen)
    3.) Peter Facinelli (Carlisle Cullen)
    4.) Elizabeth Reaser (Esme Cullen)
    5.) Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen)
    6.) Nikki Reed (Rosalie Hale)
    7.) Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Hale)
    8.) Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen)

    Flixster - Share Movies


    (Review coming soon...)
  • November 7, 2009
    first i'm gonna say hi
    ..about twilight i just say wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow
    .....it's one of the best movies you can ever see ..
  • November 7, 2009
    ..." cand dragostea vorbeste, vocile tuturor zeilor par a fi adormite in armonia raiului"...
  • November 7, 2009
    hello
    how are you??
  • November 7, 2009
    OMG me too i wish i was bell cauze i love edward....

Critic Reviews


December 19, 2008
Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times

This is sexual-Gothic tripe of a high order. I am looking forward to the second instalment. full review

November 24, 2008
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

A darn good hunk of pop moviemaking. full review

November 24, 2008
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

Twilight the movie is cautious, a sort of Tiger Beat-ified Twin Peaks. In its undercooked way, though, it's enjoyable. full review

November 21, 2008
Mike McGranaghan, The Aisle Seat

It's a well-made but thematically flawed film based on a book that was ingenious in conceit but generically written. The strengths of one are the flaws of the other, and vice versa. full review

November 21, 2008
Robert Koehler, Christian Science Monitor

A hackneyed jumble of cuts and pastes from the book, blended with second-rate music video bits and third-rate visual effects, and finally undone by the fatal casting of Kristen Stewart as Bella. full review

November 21, 2008
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

Not that Twilight's fate hangs on intelligibility. It hangs on fangs that aren't bared, and on a bloodlust that isn't indulged. full review

November 21, 2008
Kurt Loder, MTV

...It's a fleeting reminder of how much dumb fun is missing from this oddly neutered neo-horror movie, and how little is being offered in its place. In "Twilight," the only characters drained dry are ... full review

November 21, 2008
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Twilight is, by its very nature, all about unfinished business, the story of a brooding, caring romantic hero and the woman who cannot -- although she wants to -- yield to him. Only his eyes penetrate... full review

November 21, 2008
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

My advice: Focus on Pattinson and Stewart. They make you understand why the books sold 17 million copies. full review

November 21, 2008
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Gothic wooziness stifles many of Hardwicke's lighter impulses, such as her knack for jiving humor in scenes among friends and family. And some of the more cartoonishly gymnastic CG stunts look plain s... full review

View more Twilight reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • hermione01
    August 26, 2009
    I've read some of your coments and yes, SM created her own kind of 'vampires' (I agree with the coment below me), and it's good to create your own things. But I find these to be a little stupid, sorry I prefer the old-fashioned vampires, those who get in ashes when the sun shows up and don't sparkle. I mean LOVED the sparkling part, I had a really good laugh when he sparkled. "This is the skin of a murderer!" I laughed till the next scene.
    For those who say 'This is the best mvoie I've ever seen' watch more movies, you'll see there are GREAT art pieces out there and Twilight is NOT a piece of art. Sorry.
  • seekinghim13
    August 24, 2009
    Hate this movie. Hate it with a passion. I hated the first few seconds of it, and I can't stand the actors they picked. I don't mind Jasper...but everyone else doesn't work.
    All their movie posters have these "I'm so sexy...watch this stupid movie." expressions on them.
    This is the last movie I would recommend to anyone. I wouldn't even recommend it to my worst enemy.
    Go ahead and give me crap for this comment, it's not gonna change my opinion.
  • kaylalynn96
    July 23, 2009
    I read the book saw the movie and frankly dude it sucked so not worth obsessing over at all! This is just a movie made to get people not to appriciate the an acual vampire movie like Interveiw with the Vampire or Lost Boys. Sorry to dissapoint when when you have a sparkly guy he's gay! Vampires are supposed to spontaniously burst into flames not sparkle! Yeah, I'm a twilight hater......deal with it!
  • yica021
    July 13, 2009
    Twilight is great not exactly like the book, but is my all time favorite i loved it. Kristen Stwart and Rob Pattinson are awsome,can't wait for 11-20-09 lol!
  • DeiaGurl
    July 9, 2009
    it was a really good movie, altough it didn't quite follow the book, there were some aspects that should have been explained in the movie and weren't.
    But still i loved it and im looking forward to the next one ^^
  • oaksjeter
    June 29, 2009
    Vampires do NOT sparkle ..VAMPIRES DO NOT SPARKLE. With out a doubt the worst vampire movie ever, women should not be allowed to write vampire books
  • jeanpierre69009
    June 27, 2009
    j'aime Widget , video , photo que je vois sur FLIXTER grace à mes amies merci des partages.....ton ami jean pierre 69009
  • frenchy1978
    June 15, 2009
    I enjoyed this movie but:

    I must admit i found the Bella character a little dull, i wish she had something more interesting to give...
    And why the hell does she do all this "ive hurt my dad" crap. Why not just say, i'm off for the weekend, and go.... That really annoyed me!
    And all these vampires are supposed to be so old, but act like typical teens!?
  • nravishsya
    June 14, 2009
    i was never watching VAMPIRE MOVIES .. but now ... Twilight is one of the most wonderful movies .... i like Edward... and am waiting fo twilight2
  • BabySarah1224
    May 17, 2009
    i ddt really read the books untill late last year when the movie came out... once i read the books i fell in love with it... the movie was the best b/c every girl wants a dream guy that would do anything to keep them in thier lives..

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Underworld: The Rise of the Lycans
    Underworld: The Rise of the Lycans (70%)
  • Underworld: Evolution
    Underworld: Evolution (73%)
  • Van Helsing
    Van Helsing (73%)
  • Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht (Count Dracula)
    Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht (Count Dracula) (0%)

Theater Showtimes & TV Listings


Twilight Trivia


  • During the filming of this 1983 movie, actor Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed by a malfunction with the helicopter used on the set of a war segment. The director and crew members were found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.  Answer »
  • What movie had this tag line : You're traveling through another demension in time , a demension not only if sight and sound but of mind . A journey into a wonderous land who's boundries are that of imagination .Next stop ,The Twilight Zone ?  Answer »
  • Vic Morrw and two juvenile children were killed on the set of Twilight Zone The Movie ?   Answer »
  • Was the Twilight Zone ever turned into a movie?  Answer »

Most Popular Skin